A New Adventure with Large-Scale Pastel Work
Recently, I embarked on a very special project: a family pastel portrait featuring four full figures together — a mother with her sons.
The composition required a lot of space — much more than the large Canson paper I usually work with (29 × 43 inches). Since that wasn’t big enough, I decided to finally try the famous UART Pastel Paper in a roll.
What Makes UART Pastel Paper Unique?
If you’re not familiar with it, UART Pastel Paper is a unique, high-quality surface made in England.
One of its standout features is that it can be purchased in a roll, allowing you to cut it to your desired size — even for very large formats.
I ordered a roll from Jackson’s Art Supplies (UK), and after about two weeks, a massive, carefully packed roll of heavy paper arrived at my door.
Unrolling the UART Pastel Paper, UART sand paper for Big size portrait painting, ©Photo Bogra Art Studio
First Impressions: Texture and a Touch of Nostalgia
The first thing I noticed was its distinctive sanded surface and… the smell!
It instantly transported me back to my early art school days, when we learned to prepare traditional gesso for priming linen canvases. That old gesso recipe contained glue extracted from animal bones — and UART Pastel Paper carries the same authentic, slightly nostalgic scent.
Something about it feels raw, real — almost like a connection to the past.
Choosing the Right Texture: Grade 600
UART Pastel Paper comes in different textures, from very smooth to more pronounced.
I chose Grade Type 600, which struck the perfect balance — delicate yet full of character, giving the work a fine surface to hold the pastel layers beautifully.
For this work I choose UART Pastel Paper,Grade Type 600 ©Photo Bogra Art Studio
Preparing the Surface: A Small Challenge
Cutting and stretching the paper onto a large wooden board turned out to be quite the task!
The paper is heavy, and after being tightly rolled for so long, it resisted lying flat.
I had to use multiple strong iron clamps to stretch it properly and left it for 24 hours.
After that, I finally had the perfect surface: firm, smooth, and ready to work on!